Machine-to-machine (M2M) devices are used to enable the automatic collection of fingerprint data without human intervention at various locations in a wireless communication system. A location server receives fingerprint data collected by one or more M2M devices positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, and stores the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device. The collected fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, where each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method, implemented by a location server in a wireless communication system, of collecting data for storage in a location database in the wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
A location server in a wireless network automatically collects and stores location data. The server receives wireless signal data ("fingerprints") from machine-to-machine (M2M) devices that are placed at known, fixed locations. These M2M devices communicate with the location server without any manual intervention. The fingerprint data represents the radio environment at each M2M device's location. The server stores this fingerprint data in a location database, associating the data with the specific location of each M2M device. If a "master" M2M device sends data for itself and other "subordinate" M2M devices, the server extracts or calculates the fingerprint data for each subordinate device and saves it in the database, along with the master's fingerprint data, associating each with its respective location.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: selecting the one or more M2M devices from a plurality of M2M devices in the wireless communication system; and sending a collection trigger from the location server to each of the selected M2M devices to trigger collection of the fingerprint data by the selected M2M devices.
The location server first selects specific M2M devices from all available M2M devices in the wireless network to participate in fingerprint data collection. Then, the location server sends a signal or message (a "collection trigger") to each of these selected M2M devices. This trigger prompts the selected M2M devices to begin collecting fingerprint data characterizing their radio environment. This extends the method: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein selecting the one or more M2M devices from the plurality of M2M devices comprises selecting the M2M devices proximate a target area.
When selecting M2M devices from all available devices for fingerprint collection (as in: selecting the one or more M2M devices from a plurality of M2M devices in the wireless communication system; and sending a collection trigger from the location server to each of the selected M2M devices to trigger collection of the fingerprint data by the selected M2M devices), the location server specifically chooses M2M devices that are located near a particular target area or region.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein selecting the one or more M2M devices from the plurality of M2M devices comprises selecting the M2M devices having a fixed location known to a desired level of accuracy.
When selecting M2M devices from all available devices for fingerprint collection (as in: selecting the one or more M2M devices from a plurality of M2M devices in the wireless communication system; and sending a collection trigger from the location server to each of the selected M2M devices to trigger collection of the fingerprint data by the selected M2M devices), the location server specifically chooses M2M devices whose physical locations are known with a high degree of certainty or accuracy.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein: receiving the fingerprint data associated with the one or more subordinate M2M devices comprises receiving one or more delta values associated with the one or more subordinate M2M devices, each delta value representing a difference between a fingerprint data point associated with one of the subordinate M2M devices and a corresponding fingerprint data point associated with the master M2M device; and determining the fingerprint data for each M2M device comprises combining each delta value with a corresponding fingerprint data point associated with the master M2M device to determine the fingerprint data for each of the subordinate M2M devices.
When a "master" M2M device sends data for itself and other "subordinate" M2M devices (as in: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database) , instead of sending the complete fingerprint data for each subordinate device, the master M2M device sends "delta" values. Each delta represents the difference between a data point in the subordinate device's fingerprint and the corresponding data point in the master device's fingerprint. The location server then reconstructs the complete fingerprint for each subordinate device by combining these delta values with the master's fingerprint data.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more subordinate M2M devices comprises a mobile M2M device, the method further comprising receiving from the master M2M device location information regarding a location of the mobile M2M device and storing a location of the mobile M2M device determined based on the received location information with the corresponding fingerprint data in the location database.
If one of the "subordinate" M2M devices is mobile (as in: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database), the "master" M2M device also sends location information about the mobile device's current position. The location server stores this location information along with the mobile device's fingerprint data in the location database.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving signal measurements associated with at least one of transmissions by a UE proximate the M2M device and transmissions by the M2M device; and determining the fixed location of the M2M device based on the received signal measurements.
The location server also collects signal measurements from user equipment (UE) or the M2M devices themselves. The location server determines the physical location of an M2M device based on the signal measurements that are received. This extends the method: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving location information from the one or more M2M devices indicating the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device.
The location server receives location information directly from the M2M devices themselves. This information indicates the known, fixed location of each M2M device. This location information is stored in the location database along with the corresponding fingerprint data for that M2M device. This extends the method: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more M2M devices comprise at least one new M2M device previously unrepresented in the location database, and wherein storing the received fingerprint data comprises automatically adding the fingerprint data associated with any new M2M device to the location database.
If the location server receives fingerprint data from a new M2M device that is not already present in the location database (i.e., a device previously unrepresented in the location database), the server automatically adds the new device's fingerprint data to the database, associating it with the device's location. This extends the method: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more M2M devices comprise an existing M2M device having previously collected fingerprint data stored in the location database, and wherein storing the received fingerprint data comprises automatically updating the fingerprint data associated with any existing M2M devices in the location database.
If the location server receives fingerprint data from an existing M2M device whose data is already stored in the location database, the server automatically updates the stored fingerprint data with the newly received data. This extends the method: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
11. A location server comprising a processing circuit and a transceiver configured to implement the method of claim 1 .
A location server is built with a processor and a radio transceiver. These components are designed to perform the following steps: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
12. A method of collecting data for a location database in a wireless communication system at a machine-to-machine (M2M) device positioned at a fixed location within a fingerprint grid, the method comprising: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
An M2M device, placed at a fixed location within a wireless network, collects fingerprint data representing the current radio environment. The M2M device communicates with a remote server without human intervention. The M2M device transmits this fingerprint data to a location database, associating the data with the device's fixed location. If the M2M device is acting as a "master" device, it collects its own fingerprint data and also receives additional fingerprint data from other "subordinate" M2M devices. The master M2M device then transmits both its own fingerprint data and the fingerprint data from the subordinate devices for storage in the location database.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a collection trigger from a location server in the wireless communication system, wherein collecting and transmitting the fingerprint data comprises collecting and transmitting the fingerprint data responsive to the collection trigger.
The M2M device receives a signal or message (a "collection trigger") from a location server in the wireless network. The M2M device then collects and transmits its fingerprint data in response to this trigger. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining one or more delta values based on the received additional fingerprint data, each delta value representing a difference between an additional fingerprint data point and a corresponding master fingerprint data point, wherein transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the subordinate M2M devices comprises transmitting at least one of the determined delta values.
When a "master" M2M device receives fingerprint data from "subordinate" M2M devices (as in: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database), it calculates "delta" values. Each delta represents the difference between a data point in the subordinate device's fingerprint and the corresponding data point in the master device's fingerprint. The master M2M device then transmits these delta values (instead of the complete subordinate fingerprint data) to the location database.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the one or more subordinate M2M devices comprises a mobile M2M device, the method further comprising transmitting location information indicating the location of the mobile M2M device to facilitate storage of a location of the mobile M2M device in the location database with the corresponding fingerprint data.
If one of the "subordinate" M2M devices is mobile (as in: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database), the "master" M2M device also transmits location information about the mobile device's current position to the location database.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising: receiving a measurement trigger from a location server in the wireless communication system to measure one or more signals transmitted by a UE; measuring the one or more signals transmitted by the UE to determine one or more signal measurements; and sending the one or more signal measurements to the location server to assist the location server in determining the fixed location of the M2M device within the fingerprint grid of the wireless communication system.
The M2M device receives a signal (a "measurement trigger") from a location server, instructing it to measure signals transmitted by a UE (user equipment). The M2M device measures these signals and determines signal measurements. The M2M device then sends these signal measurements to the location server, which uses them to help determine the M2M device's own fixed location within the wireless network. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the collected fingerprint data to a location server in the wireless communication system to enable the location server to store the collected fingerprint data in the location database.
The M2M device sends the collected fingerprint data to a location server in the wireless network. The location server then stores this data in the location database. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the collected fingerprint data directly to the location database.
The M2M device sends the collected fingerprint data directly to the location database, bypassing the location server. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
19. The method of claim 12 further comprising transmitting location information indicating the fixed location of the fixed M2M device to facilitate storage of a location of the fixed M2M device in the location database with the corresponding fingerprint data.
The M2M device transmits location information indicating its fixed location to the location database. This facilitates storing the device's location along with its corresponding fingerprint data. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
20. The method of claim 12 wherein collecting and transmitting the fingerprint data comprises automatically collecting and transmitting the fingerprint data based on a current wireless environment according to a predetermined schedule.
The M2M device automatically collects and transmits fingerprint data according to a schedule that is already programmed, based on its assessment of the current wireless environment. This eliminates the need for external triggers. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
21. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing newly collected fingerprint data with previously collected fingerprint data, wherein transmitting the fingerprint data comprises transmitting the newly collected fingerprint data fingerprint data when a difference between the newly collected fingerprint data and the previously collected fingerprint data exceeds a threshold.
The M2M device compares newly collected fingerprint data with previously collected data. It transmits the new fingerprint data only if the difference between the new data and the old data exceeds a predefined threshold. This extends the method: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
22. A machine-to-machine (M2M) device comprising a collection circuit and a transceiver configured to implement the method of claim 12 .
An M2M device is built with a data collection circuit and a radio transceiver. These components are designed to perform the following steps: collecting fingerprint data based on a current radio environment, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the M2M device, and wherein the M2M device is configured for communication with a remote network node without human intervention; and transmitting, by a transceiver of the M2M device, the collected fingerprint data for storage in the location database to associate the fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the M2M device comprises a master M2M device, wherein the collecting the fingerprint data comprises: collecting master fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the master M2M device; and receiving, by the transceiver of the M2M device, additional fingerprint data from one or more subordinate M2M devices in the wireless communication network, wherein the one or more subordinate M2M devices collected the additional fingerprint data based on the current wireless environment of the associated subordinate M2M device, and wherein the transmitting the collected fingerprint data comprises transmitting the fingerprint data associated with the master and subordinate M2M devices ( 50 M , 50 S ) for storage in the location database.
23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program code configured when executed by a processor of a location server cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .
A computer program product is a non-transitory storage medium (like a hard drive or flash drive) that stores code. When that code is run on a location server's processor, it causes the processor to perform the following steps: receiving, by a transceiver of the location server, fingerprint data collected by one or more machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, each positioned at fixed locations in the wireless communication system, wherein each of the one or more M2M devices are configured for communication with the location server without human intervention, wherein the fingerprint data characterizes the radio environment at the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, and wherein each M2M device corresponds to one fixed location in a fingerprint grid; and storing the fingerprint data received for each of the one or more M2M devices in the location database to associate the received fingerprint data with the fixed location of the corresponding M2M device, wherein the receiving the fingerprint data from the one or more M2M devices comprises receiving, from a master M2M device at a fixed location in the wireless communication system, the fingerprint data associated with the master M2M device and one or more subordinate M2M devices from the master M2M device, and wherein the storing the received fingerprint data comprises: determining the fingerprint data for each subordinate M2M device from the fingerprint data received from the master M2M device; storing the fingerprint data determined for each subordinate M2M device in the location database for each of the one or more subordinate M2M devices; and storing the fingerprint data received for the master M2M device in the location database.
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August 26, 2013
June 20, 2017
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